List of video games considered artistic

Not to be confused with List of art games.

This is a list of video games considered to be works of art by art critics and video game reviewers. Although several countries offer legal protections to video games which are similar or identical to protections offered to other artistic works, and although by this standard all video games can be considered as art, this article lists games that have been specifically identified by art critics and video game reviewers as works of art. The term "art game" as used in reference to a distinct genre of video games was first used academically in 2002. This list does not include visual novels, which are considered an independent art form within the video game industry. ^[1]

20th century

Title	Year	Developer(s)	Original platform(s) [lower-alpha 1]	Description
Tempest	1981	Atari	Arcade	An arcade tube shooter with vector graphics. PBS Idea Channel described it as a strongly aesthetic experience, comparing it to paintings. [2]
Super Mario Bros.	1985	Nintendo	NES	A side-scrolling platform game released as a launch title for the NES, Super Mario Bros. became the most praised game in the original Mario series for its 8-bit visuals, power-ups, and aesthetic charm. The game has its own spot in the Smithsonian American Art Museum in an exhibition called The Art of Video Games . [3]
Another World	1991	Delphine Software	Atari ST, Amiga	Also known as Out of this World, this cinematic platformer about a human scientist struggling to survive in an alien world was praised for its rotoscoped animations, unique atmosphere, and visual storytelling, and was admitted into the Museum of Modern Art in 2013. [4] [5] It was highly influential, inspiring Fumito Ueda to create Ico , another game considered artistic. [6] [7]
Myst	1993	Cyan	Mac OS	Beginning in 1993 with Myst and followed by Riven in 1997 and four additional sequels through 2005, the series is a graphic adventure based on pre-rendered scenarios and a strongly atmospheric, immersive setting. [8] [9] [10] The level of detail allowed by the use of CD-ROM as the storage media was a technical achievement at the time, praised for the way the limitations of the format were overcome and used as part of the game story. [11]
Doom	1993	id Software	PC	A violent first-person shooter whose transgressive thrills make it, according to The Guardian games editor Keith Stewart, "natural heir to the splatterhouse cinema of the pre-digital era". [12]
Cosmology of Kyoto	1993	Softedge	Mac OS, PC	An open-world graphic adventure exploring Japanese myths in ancient Kyoto. Together with Myst, it was reviewed by film critic Roger Ebert in a column on whether video games can be considered art. [13]
Chrono Trigger	1995	Square	Super NES	A Japanese role-playing game about a group of adventurers from different time periods trying to prevent the end of the world. The game has been praised for its multi-ending plot, graphics, art direction by Akira Toriyama, and soundtrack by Yasunori Mitsuda. [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20]
Yoshi's Island	1995	Nintendo	Super NES	A side-scrolling platforming game lauded for its explorative gameplay, moving soundtrack, and detailed, expressive visuals. [21] [22]
Super Mario 64	1996	Nintendo	Nintendo 64	The first Super Mario game to use fully 3D graphics, this influential platform game features open-ended, free-roaming environments and a cartoony aesthetic. It convinced Valve president Gabe Newell that video games were art, [23] and was featured in The Art of Video Games exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. [3] The game's highly intricate movement system allows speedrunners to greatly express themselves. [24]
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night	1997	Konami	PlayStation	A cult classic JRPG game praised for its atmospheric graphics, intricate story, massive free-to-explore game world, and evocative soundtrack. [25] [26]
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee	1997	Oddworld Inhabitants	PlayStation	A cinematic platform game set on the fictional planet of Oddworld, praised for its visual style and innovative gameplay. [27]
Final Fantasy VII	1997	Square	PlayStation	Considered by many to be one of the best role-playing video games of all time, its story includes the death of a major character, which aimed to give the player an emotional stake in the game. [2] [28]
Grim Fandango	1998	LucasArts	PC	An adventure game which combines elements of film noir with aspects of Aztec mythology. [29]
Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus	1998	Oddworld Inhabitants	PlayStation	Sequel to Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee and first video game with its animated sequences to be considered for nomination in the Academy Awards. [30]
Panzer Dragoon Saga	1998	Team Andromeda	Sega Saturn	A role-playing game set in a post-apocalyptic world populated with dragons, acclaimed for its immersive world and story. [31] [32] It was featured in The Art of Video Games exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. [3]
Xenogears	1998	Square	PlayStation	A Japanese role-playing game that follows the protagonist Fei Fong Wong and several others as they journey across the world to overthrow the all-powerful rule of Solaris and uncover mysteries concerning their world. The story incorporates themes of Jungian psychology, Freudian thought, and religious symbolism. The game received critical acclaim due to its "thought-provoking" storyline, gameplay, characters, animated cutscenes, soundtrack and psychological and religious themes. [33] [34] [35] [36]
Planescape: Torment	1999	Black Isle Studios	PC	A cult-classic role-playing video game that was praised for its detailed writing, defined characters, unique setting, and the use of death to progress the story. [37]
Vib Ribbon	1999	NanaOn-Sha	PlayStation	A rhythm game known for its unique vector graphics art style. Vib Ribbon was collected as part of a video game exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art. [38]

2000–2005

Title	Year	Developer(s)	Original platform(s) [lower-alpha 1]	Description
Deus Ex	2000	Ion Storm	PC	An action role-playing video game praised for its deep gameplay, complex and thought-provoking story, philosophical dialogue, and its use of multiple solutions to situations based on the free will of the player, which allows for its tasks and missions to be completed in a variety of ways, which in turn lead to differing outcomes. [39] [40] [41] [42] It was nominated for the Smithsonian American Art Museum's exhibition, The Art of Video Games. [43] [44]
Galatea	2000	Emily Short	Z-machine	A self-published interactive fiction game based on interactions with a single character in a single room. Rock, Paper, Shotgun analyzed it as an art game, saying that it "transcends that" and calling it "literature" and "not an art game [but] a game about art". [45]
Max Payne	2001	Remedy Entertainment	PC	A third-person shooter praised for its use of neo-noir storytelling devices [46] and its thematic connections and frequent references to Norse mythology.
Silent Hill 2	2001	Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo	PlayStation 2	A survival horror video game which has been considered a work of art due to its story, atmosphere, sound design, exploration of psychological ideas such as the subconscious, and its use of psychological horror, metaphors, and taboo topics such as incest and domestic violence. [47] [48]
Ico	2001	Japan Studio Team Ico	PlayStation 2	A minimalist game about a boy and girl who try to escape a ruined castle, Ico is frequently cited as an example of art in games due to its immersive gameplay, evoking narrative, and unique and influential design elements. [49] [50] [51]
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty	2001	Konami	PlayStation 2	A stealth game by Hideo Kojima that has been cited as a primary example of artistic expression in video games and an early example of post-modernism in video games. [52] [4] [53] [54] The game is often considered ahead of its time for having anticipated themes and concepts that later became culturally relevant in the 2010s, such as social media, [55] news feeds, post-truth politics, [53] fake news, echo chambers, and alternative facts. [56] [57]
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker	2002	Nintendo	GameCube	An action-adventure game in the Legend of Zelda franchise where the player sails across a flooded land, using a magic baton to control the winds. The game received critical acclaim for its timeless cel-shaded visuals, which have been compared to the works of Hayao Miyazaki, as well as its mature narrative. [22] [58] [59] [60] The game was featured at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in an exhibition titled The Art of Video Games . [61]
Yume Nikki	2004	Kikiyama	PC	An independently developed freeware game that has the player explore the dreams of a hikikomori little girl known only as "Madotsuki" as she encounters numerous surreal creatures, locations, and events while collecting "Effects", most of which do little more than alter her appearance. [62]
The Endless Forest	2005	Tale of Tales	PC	Originally commissioned for an art exhibition, The Endless Forest is a multiplayer online game in which the player controls a stag in a peaceful forest and interacts with other players entirely through sounds and body language. All players are recognizable by their unique symbols and customized appearance, but are otherwise anonymous. Dubbed a "social screensaver", the game has been considered an MMORPG in the loosest sense of the term, though it shares few things in common with more mainstream MMORPGs. [63]
Killer7	2005	Grasshopper Manufacture	GameCube, PlayStation 2	An action-adventure game by director Goichi Suda that has often been described as "thought-provoking" and "arthouse", and is cited as a work of art due to its plot involving heavy themes of politics and death. [64] [65]
Pathologic	2005	Ice-Pick Lodge	PC	A psychological horror adventure survival role-playing game set in a town which is befallen by a strange lethal sickness known as the "sand plague". The story tells of three different characters who try to uncover the source of the sickness and is full of staginess and symbolism. [66] [67]
Psychonauts	2005	Double Fine Productions	PC, Xbox	A narrative-driven action-adventure platform game where the main character explores people's minds. Though initially a commercial failure, the game gained a cult following for its unique level design, art, and humor. [68] [69]

2006–2010

Title	Year	Developer(s)	Original platform(s) [lower-alpha 1]	Description
Ōkami	2006	Clover Studio	PlayStation 2	An adventure game based on Japanese mythology, the game's graphics were designed to appear similar to sumi-e watercolor paintings, and incorporated art-based brushstrokes by the player to execute special moves. [70] [71]
Shadow of the Colossus	2006	Team Ico	PlayStation 2	A spiritual successor to 2001's Ico , Shadow of the Colossus is regarded as an important work of art due to its minimalist landscape designs, strong aesthetic, immersive gameplay, powerful narrative, and emotional journey. It has been referenced numerous times in debates regarding art and video games. [72]
Mother 3	2006	Brownie Brown HAL Laboratory	Game Boy Advance	The sequel to EarthBound (known as Mother 2 in Japan), Mother 3 is a role-playing game about the story of one of two twin boys as he, his pet dog, and his friends battle an occupying dictatorship. The game has been praised for its in-depth narrative and use of 16-bit graphics. [73] It is heavy with themes including the importance of a mother, moral fungibility, and dualisms such as nature vs. technology and feudalism vs. capitalism, and is frequently compared to a form of literature. [73] [74] Despite never officially being released outside of Japan, it was later fan-translated by a group of EarthBound fans. Both it and its predecessor served as inspirations for several other games, including Yume Nikki and Undertale .
Dwarf Fortress	2006	Tarn Adams	PC, Mac OS X, Linux	A roguelike city-building game where the player creates an expansive world each play-through, allowing them to envision the history and culture for their civilization each time around. [2]
BioShock	2007	2K Boston 2K Australia	PC, Xbox 360	A spiritual successor to System Shock 2 , the game is regarded as an important work of art due to its immersive atmosphere, compelling storytelling,[ according to whom? ] and the narrative deconstruction of linear gameplay. [75]
Portal	2007	Valve	PC, Xbox 360	A puzzle game involving the use of portals to transport the player between distant points in space. The game has been praised for its innovative mechanics, narrative and storytelling, and writing, especially that of the AI character GLaDOS. [76] [77] Portal was featured as part of the Museum of Modern Art exhibit "Applied Design". [78]
Fallout 3	2008	Bethesda Game Studios	PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3	An action role-playing game acclaimed for its steampunk/retrofuturistic design and credible reconstruction and visuals of post-apocalyptic Washington, D.C. [79] In 2012, Fallout 3 was also exhibited in The Art of Video Games at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. [80]
Braid	2008	Number None	Xbox 360	A puzzle-platform game which uses time manipulation as its core mechanic. The game is notable for its painterly art style, layered philosophical narrative, and unique approach to game design. [81] [82]
Windosill	2009	Vectorpark	PC, Mac OS X, Linux, browser, iOS	A puzzle game in which the player advances through eleven different rooms by interacting with each level's environmental objects. Developer Patrick Smith was inspired by a variety of painters and artists. The game received "universal acclaim" according to video game review score aggregator Metacritic, [83] with reviewers noting the game's especially short duration, memorability, art style, and emphasis on exploration over problem-solving.
Flower	2009	thatgamecompany	PlayStation 3	The player "controls" a gust of wind through motion controls, guiding it to various flowers around a landscape to gather petals. The gameplay was designed to provoke an emotional response from the player, and was chosen as one of the games shown at The Art of Video Games exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. [84]
Noby Noby Boy	2009	Namco Bandai Games	PlayStation 3, iOs	An experimental art game about a worm like creature known as Boy. The player uses the analog sticks to control the front and back end of Boy allowing him to stretch out and around the objects in the level. The player can then submit the amount they've stretched online to increase the length of a character known as Girl whose length is persistent amongst all players. Girl starts on earth and stretches out into the solar system unlocking new levels for all players when she reaches a new planet. [85]
The Path	2009	Tale of Tales	PC, Mac OS X	A psychological horror game inspired by several versions of the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood; a visionary reflection about the loss of childhood innocence between fable and horror. [86]
Deadly Premonition	2010	Access Games	Xbox 360, PlayStation 3	An open-world survival horror game that was described as "the strangest video game of the year" and a primary example of "games as art", praised for its "emotional range, from traditional survival horror scares to farcical comedy". [87]
Heavy Rain	2010	Quantic Dream	PlayStation 3	An interactive movie where the player enters quick time events during various sequences, including intense, rapid-paced scenes. The results of the player's choices or actions can cause one of the four main characters to die while the story continues on, causing the player to become invested in the game's story. [2]
Limbo	2010	Playdead	Xbox 360	A puzzle-platformer with a surreal horror atmosphere and art style, noted for cinematic visual influences such as film noir and German Expressionism. [88] [89]
Amnesia: The Dark Descent	2010	Frictional Games	PC, Mac OS X, Linux	A survival horror game praised for its horror elements, particularly its atmosphere and sound, with many critics regarding it as one of their scariest experiences. [90]

2011–2015

Title	Year	Developer(s)	Original platform(s) [lower-alpha 1]	Description
L.A. Noire	2011	Team Bondi	Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC	The game is set in Los Angeles in 1947 and is known for its presentation, which utilizes elements found in noir films popular in the 1940s and 1950s. [91]
Child of Eden	2011	Q Entertainment	Xbox 360, PlayStation 3	A rail shooter music game similar to Rez in which players shoot at various targets which produce melodic sounds upon destruction. As with Rez, it was designed to evoke the feeling of synesthesia. [92]
The Cat and the Coup	2011	Peter Brinson Kurosh ValaNejad	PC	A documentary puzzle game about the life of Mohammad Mosaddegh, who was Prime Minister of Iran in the early 1950s. [93]
Papo & Yo	2012	Minority Media Inc.	PlayStation 3	It tells a personal story about love, loss, and growth. [94]
Dear Esther	2012	The Chinese Room	PC, Mac OS X	A minimalist first-person exploration game centered around its graphical environment and story. The narrative is provided through monologues as the player journeys through the environment. [95] [96]
Gravity Rush	2012	Japan Studio (Team Gravity)	PlayStation Vita	An open-world action-adventure game featuring a female protagonist with the power to manipulate how gravity affects her, and who uses her powers to help the people of Hekseville against the mysterious Nevi, ultimately helping its people against human threats and uncovering the mystery behind her past. The art, music, and themes of the game have been cited for its status as art. [97]
Journey	2012	thatgamecompany	PlayStation 3	Journey has been described as an emotional experience, due to its immersive setting (a vast empty desert), distinctive visual style, dynamic music which responds to the player's actions, and de-emphasized gameplay. A central mechanic is that players are able to cooperate with other real-life players on the same journey, but cannot communicate with them via speech or text until after the game's credits, which was praised for forging a sense of companionship between anonymous players. [98]
The Unfinished Swan	2012	Giant Sparrow Santa Monica Studio	PlayStation 3	The game starts with a completely white space in which the player, a boy named Monroe, is chasing after a swan that has escaped a painting. The player has to splat gobs of black paint to draw and materialize the world around him. [99] [100]
Spec Ops: The Line	2012	Yager Development	PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360	A third-person shooter that deconstructs the "shooter genre". Inspired by Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness , Spec Ops: The Line dwells heavily on themes of moral ambiguity as the player finds themselves struggling to justify their actions in the plot. [101] [102] [103]
The Walking Dead	2012	Telltale Games	PC, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Vita	An episodic adventure game set in the world of Robert Kirkman's acclaimed comic book series, The Walking Dead has been praised for its story, meaningful player decisions, and believable characters. It is often considered one of the greatest examples of storytelling in video games. [104]
The Cat Lady	2012	Harvester Games	PC	A horror point-and-click adventure game about depression, death, friendship, suicide, etc., with an underground graphic style. [105]
BioShock Infinite	2013	Irrational Games	PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Mac OS X	A first-person shooter set in 1912 in an alternate universe where American Exceptionalism is flourishing aboard the flying city Columbia. The game's narrative challenges concepts of nationalism, religion, and racism prevalent during that period, providing a "funhouse mirror of American ideological history", according to Ben Popper of The Verge . [106] [107]
Grand Theft Auto V	2013	Rockstar North	PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, later for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.	Rockstar Games' open-world crime-based title satirizes the modern-day lifestyle of the West Coast of the United States, taking place in a city that is a smaller-scale but detailed stylization of the city of Los Angeles and its vicinity, often used by players and artists as a backdrop for their own creations. [108] [109]
Papers, Please	2013	3909 LLC	PC, Mac OS X, Linux	A border control simulation game where a political uprising plot develops in the background of mechanical, grinding gameplay that mimics the mechanical, repetitive work of an immigration officer in a fictional country, presenting the player with ethical and moral choices between job and family. [110]
Proteus	2013	Ed Key David Kanaga	PC, Mac OS X, Linux, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita	A procedurally generated walking simulator game that allows players to explore an expanse of musical environment, where every creature and plant has its own unique musical signature to accompany it, resulting in changes according to where players explore. [111]
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons	2013	Starbreeze Studios	Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC	A story-driven game praised for its visual style, gameplay, and "sedate" pace, the game has no intelligible dialogue and provides players with a powerful, emotive experience. It drew comparisons to Ico , Journey , and Fable . [112]
Gone Home	2013	The Fullbright Company	PC, Mac OS X, Linux	An exploration game where the player takes the role of a teenaged girl returning to her unoccupied home after spending time abroad. Gone Home has been praised for its narration, gameplay, and atmosphere. [113]
The Stanley Parable	2013	Galactic Cafe	PC, Mac OS X	A walking simulator game praised as a thought-provoking narration on the nature of choice and predestination within video games, and defined as a "meta-game where is not the gamer to play the game, but the game to play the gamer". [114]
Flappy Bird	2013	.GEARS	Android, iOS	An arcade-style mobile game now present in both the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Museum of Modern Art. [115]
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter	2014	The Astronauts	PC, PlayStation 4	A first-person mystery adventure game that has been praised for its realistic graphics, atmospheric open world, and suspenseful narrative. [116] [117]
Kentucky Route Zero	2013–2020	Cardboard Computer	PC, Mac OS X, Linux	An indie episodic point-and-click adventure game with a focus on storytelling and a "beautiful", immersive atmosphere. The game features a twisting, self-referential narrative, [118] as well as deep characterization through evocative dialogue. Kentucky Route Zero was named Game of the Year in 2013 by Rock, Paper, Shotgun . [119]
Elegy for a Dead World	2014	Dejobaan Games	PC, Mac OS X, Linux	A side-scrolling exploration game where the player writes a diary visible to other players. The player explores three worlds inspired by romantic poets Percy Bysshe Shelley, Lord Byron, and John Keats. While exploring, the player is prompted to make notes on their observations; notes are publicly visible via Steam Workshop. The collective note-taking mechanic, representing not only an artistic game experience but also the ability of sandbox-style games to support further collaborative artistic creation by their players, earned it an honorable mention for the Nuovo Award at the 2014 Independent Games Festival. [120] [121]
Monument Valley	2014	ustwo games	iOS, Android	An indie puzzle game where the player leads the princess Ida through mazes of optical illusions and impossible objects while manipulating the world around her to reach various platforms. Its visual style was inspired by Japanese prints, minimalist sculpture, and indie games Windosill , Fez , and Sword & Sworcery , and was compared by critics to M. C. Escher drawings and Echochrome . [122] The art was designed such that each frame would be worthy of public display. The game received generally favorable reviews. Critics praised its art and sound design. It won the BAFTA Video Game Awards for best "British Game" and "Mobile/Handheld Game", while nominated for "Best Game", "Artistic Achievement", and "Original Property" awards. [123]
This War of Mine	2014	11 Bit Studios	Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch	A side-scrolling survival based strategy game in which the player controls a group of civilians trying to survive in the fictional city of Pogoren while it is under siege (heavily inspired by Sarajevo the Siege of Sarajevo.) The game has been praised for its morally grey depiction of war, as well as its unique setting, focusing on the impact war has on civilians rather than militaries. [124]
The Talos Principle	2014	Croteam	Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, Android, PlayStation 4, iOS, Xbox One	The Talos Principle is a narrative-based puzzle game, [125] played from a first- or third-person perspective. [126] [127] The player takes the role of a robot with a seemingly human consciousness [128] as they explore a number of environments that include over 120 puzzles. [129] The game features a philosophical storyline. It takes its name from Talos of Greek mythology, a giant mechanical man who protected Europa in Crete from pirates and invaders. Other names taken from mythology and religion and used in the game include Elohim, Gehenna, Milton, Samsara, and Uriel. [130]
Never Alone	2014	Upper One Games	Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, Android, iOS, PlayStation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch	A side-scrolling adventure game in which the player controls an Alaskan Iñupiaq child looking to stop a blizzard from destroying their village. Throughout the story the child connects with an arctic fox and learns stories of the history of the Iñupiaq people. The game has been praised for its storytelling and its unique artistic style inspired by Alaskan culture. [131]
Beyond Eyes	2015	Tiger & Squid	Xbox One, PC, Mac OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4	An adventure game centered on a blind girl exploring her environment, where her other four senses are visualized in unique ways for the player. [132]
Her Story	2015	Sam Barlow	PC, Mac OS X, iOS	An interactive film which incorporates police procedural elements and live-action footage, in which the player controls a police interrogation database and must piece together how a murder occurred through entering keyword searches. The game was praised for its unique system of storytelling, character performance, and unconventional gameplay mechanics. [133] [134]
The Beginner's Guide	2015	Everything Unlimited Ltd.	PC, Mac OS X	An exploration game by Davey Wreden, creator of The Stanley Parable , in which Wreden himself narrates the player through several eccentric, uncompleted games by a recluse developer named Coda, with Wreden ascribing what these games mean about Coda's personality. The nature of the story reflects on the relationship between player and developer in modern game development, with elements of Wreden's own sudden success with The Stanley Parable. [135]
Undertale	2015	Toby Fox	PC, Mac OS X	A role-playing game where multiple in-game decisions by the player result in many different consequences, including but not limited to the actions of non-player characters, the mood and atmosphere of the game, and the ending. Undertale's premise is built around the idea of the player choosing whether or not to kill or spare enemies, and its overarching story is held together by themes of determination, mercy, and consequence. It also features an additional metastory hidden across the game's files and code. [136] [137]
Ori and the Blind Forest	2015	Moon Studios	PC, Xbox One	A 2D open-world platform game where the player controls an orphan named Ori, a white guardian spirit. The game was critically acclaimed for its gorgeous art, touching narrative, and clever gameplay. [138]

2016–present

Title	Year	Developer(s)	Original platform(s) [lower-alpha 1]	Description
That Dragon, Cancer	2016	Numinous Games	PC, Mac OS X, Ouya, iOS	An exploration game designed by Ryan and Amy Green to help share their experiences in learning and coping with the terminal cancer and death of their five-year-old son Joel. [139]
Abzû	2016	Giant Squid	PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows	An adventure game set in the ocean, the player controlling a silent diver to explore the different ocean environments by interacting with nature. [140]
Bound	2016	Plastic Studios	PlayStation 4	Bound is a platform and art video game featuring a dancer as the main character. It was developed by Plastic Studios, published by Sony Interactive Entertainment and released on August 16, 2016, for the PlayStation 4. The game received mostly positive critical reviews, praising its art style and originality. "It’s like an M.C. Escher painting colliding with Bauhaus". [141] "Bound is digital art installation" [142]
1979 Revolution: Black Friday	2016	iNK Stories	Microsoft Windows, OS X	An interactive drama game set in Iran during the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the game was particularly praised for its accurate portrayal of the events of the revolution, allowing players to become fully immersed in its setting. [143]
No Man's Sky	2016	Hello Games	PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC	An open-world space exploration game inspired by 1960s and 1970s sci-fi comic books. Players can explore over 18 quintillion procedurally generated planets while choosing the path of explorer, trader, or fighter. [144] [145]
Firewatch	2016	Campo Santo	PlayStation 4	"Firewatch is about solitude and space, a first-person journey through the massive wilderness of America's Shoshone National Forest. It's a space of such magnitude that it almost unavoidably conjures mysteries and conspiracies of corresponding size. But in this game, we are drawn back down to the essential and human." [146]
The Witness	2016	Thekla, Inc.	PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One	A puzzle game that "does something that you can't do with any other art form. This game has a clear message: 'Change your perspective', and unless you do so, you can not succeed. Every aspect (i.e. gameplay, design, puzzles) of The Witness is based upon this idea." [147]
Inside	2016	Playdead	Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 4	Playdead's follow-up to Limbo , Inside is a puzzle-platformer that follows an unnamed boy's trek across a surreal landscape while being chased by pursuers. It uses a wider array of cinematographic elements described by Christopher Byrd of The Washington Post : "It's a mood piece, a series of expertly framed environments that escalate in their strangeness." [148]
Mafia III	2016	Hangar 13	PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Mac OS X	The game is set in a re-imagined version of New Orleans in the 1960s and received praise for exploring controversial themes such as racism and segregation in the Southern United States. [149]
The Last Guardian	2016	Japan Studio genDESIGN	PlayStation 4	The third Team Ico game, following Ico and Shadow of the Colossus , designed around a realistic-acting giant bird-cat-like creature that the player must learn to tend and care for in order to entice the creature to help solve puzzles. [132]
Virginia	2016	Variable State	PC, Mac OS X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One	A first-person mystery thriller adventure game using a strong cinematographic language in the style of David Lynch films. [150]
The Town of Light	2016	LKA	PC	A first-person 3D adventure about madness and ancient psychiatric asylum horrors. [151] [152]
Hyper Light Drifter	2016	Heart Machine	Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC	An action role-playing game praised for its visual storytelling, hack-and-slash combat, emotional storyline, and anime-inspired 8-bit visuals. [153] [154] [155]
Night in the Woods	2017	Infinite Fall Secret Lab 22nd Century Toys	PC, Mac OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One	A single-player exploration game about an anthropomorphic cat named Mae, who dropped out of college and has returned to her slowly dying hometown to find that a lot has changed since she left. It has been praised for "a fantastic narrative with a beautiful art-style, theme and plenty of small touches occupying a wonderful world full of loving characters covering a sinister story underneath". [156]
Nier: Automata	2017	PlatinumGames	PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One	An action role-playing video game. Set in a post-apocalyptic Earth as the result of an alien invasion, the player controls android soldiers fighting AI controlled machines in the hope of reclaiming Earth. The game explores the philosophy of life and the philosophy of artificial intelligence, especially that if AI and machines can be considered as sentient beings. [157]
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild	2017	Nintendo EPD	Wii U, Nintendo Switch	A compelling entry in The Legend of Zelda franchise, which differs from other entries by creating a fully immersive, non-linear open-world experience with a realistic physics engine and an extremely precise attention to detail across an unprecedentedly vast world. Breath of the Wild received critical acclaim for its graphics and gameplay and has been hailed as not only a landmark title for the genre but as one of the greatest games of all time. [158]
The Mooseman	2017	Morteshka	PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation Vita, iOS, Android	A game which reconstructs Komi mythology of the Finno-Ugric Komi peoples of northern Russia. It is made using scientific sources about Finno-Ugric beliefs and archeology. [159] [160]
What Remains of Edith Finch	2017	Giant Sparrow	PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One	A first-person exploration game, the player explores the odd childhood home of Edith Finch and her family, while interacting with short vignettes that relate to the strange deaths of past Finch members. Indie studio Giant Sparrow conjured an adventure that blends exploration, reading, reality, and fantasy. [161]
Hollow Knight	2017	Team Cherry	PC, Mac OS X, Linux, Nintendo Switch	A Metroidvania-style hack-and-slash platform game about an insect warrior trying save a kingdom from a terrible curse. [162] [163] [164]
Last Day of June	2017	Ovosonico	PlayStation 4, PC	A 3D graphic adventure with a colorful cartoon aesthetic reminiscent of Tim Burton's films in stop-motion and a soundtrack composed by Steven Wilson. The story is about love and loss, life and death, and is like a puzzle. [165] [166] [167] [168] [169]
Gorogoa	2017	Jason Roberts	PC, iOS, Nintendo Switch	A puzzle game presented with four images in a grid in which the player may arrange, combine, and explore each image to find a connection between them in order to advance the story. The creator who developed Gorogoa, Jason Roberts, drew all of the scenes by hand; [170] he cites David Roberts, Gustave Doré, Christopher Manson, and Chris Ware as influences to his art style. [171] [172]
The Invisible Hours	2017	Tequila Works	PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC	The Invisible Hours is an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery, a classic whodunit similar to And Then There Were None ; it is also heavily inspired by Christopher Nolan's 2006 film The Prestige . Six people with an obscure past (among them inventor Thomas Edison) are invited by scientist Nikola Tesla to his mansion on an uninhabited and isolated little island. It was presented at NEXT during the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. [173] [174] [175] [176] [177]
Kingdom Come: Deliverance	2018	Warhorse Studios	Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One	Set in the early 15th century, in the Kingdom of Bohemia, the game is noted for its focus on historical accuracy as well as both its attention to detail and realism in its gameplay. [178] [179]
11-11: Memories Retold	2018	DigixArt Aardman Animations	PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4	A story-driven 3D adventure and interactive drama set during World War I, it is an antithesis to mainstream shooters, with an ambition to echo the centenary of World War I so that younger generations never forget. It was praised for its Van Gogh-like aesthetics, opening new expressive possibilities, and introducing technical innovations with great impact for the future of gaming. [180] [181] [182] [183]
Red Dead Redemption 2	2018	Rockstar Studios	PlayStation 4, Xbox One	A large open-world game set in the late 19th-century American frontier, Red Dead Redemption 2 was noted for creating background settings, characters, wildlife, and other events that make the game immersive, while emphasizing the impact of the choices a player makes on how the player later interacts with these elements. [184]
Return of the Obra Dinn	2018	3909 LLC	PC, Mac OS X	The game is set aboard a fictional East India Company ghost ship in the early 1800s whose crew and passengers have all mysteriously died or disappeared, with the objective being to discover how. "A mystery that makes a grand and intricate game out of deduction." [185]
Gris	2018	Nomada Studio	PC, Mac OS X, Nintendo Switch, iOS	A puzzle platformer that follows a girl named Gris, who wakes up in a crumbling world. [186]
Manifold Garden	2019	William Chyr	PC, Mac OS X, Linux, OS	William Chyr was a sculpture artist with interest in architecture, and wanted to explore how he could take large-scale art into the virtual space of computer games. [187]
Death Stranding	2019	Kojima Productions	PlayStation 4	A video game by director Hideo Kojima, set in post-apocalyptic America, where a series of cataclysmic events caused the Death Stranding - the event where the souls of the dead come back from afterlife to the physical world. This, as well as a rainfall which accelerates passing of time caused people to become isolated. The protagonist Sam Bridges traverses America in order to connect the isolated outposts of survivors in order to rebuild America. Similarly to previous Hideo Kojima's productions, the game features a lot of symbolism and metaphors, as well as a commentary on real-world political issues, such as climate change and isolationism. The game was praised for its storytelling, soundtrack, graphics, Hollywood cast (including Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, Margaret Qualley, and Guillermo del Toro) as well as its unique approach to action-game genre. [188] [189]
Disco Elysium	2019	ZA/UM	PC, Mac OS X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch	A sprawling isometric RPG about an amnesiac detective and his partner solving a murder in a war-torn city. [190] The game was listed as one of the top ten video games of the 2010s by TIME Magazine [191] and has been praised for its exploration of human nature and its political commentary.
Untitled Goose Game	2019	House House	Microsoft Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One	A puzzle stealth game in which players control a goose who bothers the inhabitants of an English village. The player must use the goose's abilities to manipulate objects and non-player characters to complete objectives. The game has won numerous awards including Game of the Year at the 23rd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, and is being preserved by the ACMI, the Powerhouse Museum, and the Australian National Film and Sound Archive for posterity. [192]
The Last of Us Part II	2020	Naughty Dog	PlayStation 4	The sequel to Naughty Dog's The Last of Us , The Last of Us Part II is an action-adventure game set in a post-apocalyptic United States, the game focuses on two playable characters whose lives intertwine: Ellie, who sets out for revenge after suffering a tragedy, and Abby, a soldier who becomes involved in a conflict between her militia and a religious cult. The game holds the record for most Game of the Year awards [193] and was ranked among the best games of its generation by multiple outlets. [194] [195] [196] Like its predecessor the game has been lauded for its storytelling and its impact on video game narratives, with particular praise for its performances, diverse cast of characters and depictions of the cycle of violence, empathy, grief and anger. CNET's Jeff Bakalar went on to state that "It is undeniably an amazing work of art, a truly powerful storytelling experience that will absolutely stay with you". [197] [198] [199]
Ghost of Tsushima	2020	Sucker Punch Productions	PlayStation 4	The player controls Jin Sakai, a samurai on a quest to protect Tsushima Island during the first Mongol invasion of Japan and must choose between following the warrior code to fight honorably, or using practical but dishonorable methods of repelling the Mongols with minimal casualties. Writing for GamesRadar, Rachel Weber described the game's world as a "work of art", [200] Matt Miller from Game Informer described it as a "painter’s vision of feudal Japan", [201] and IGN's Mitchell Saltzman wrote that its visual landscape was one of the best ever for an open world game. [202] Critics particularly praised how the game used elements of nature like wind and birds to guide players to their objectives, [202] [200] [203] . Ghost of Tsushima is also considered as "a perfectly constructed work of art" [204] and one of the most beautiful game ever made. [205] The game received The Game Awards 2020's Best Art Direction Award, 24th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards's Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction, Visual Effects Society Awards's Outstanding Visual Effects in a Real-Time Project in 2021, and 21st Game Developers Choice Awards's Best Visual Art in 2021.
Hades	2020	Supergiant Games	PC, Mac OS, Nintendo Switch	A roguelike action games based on the gods and figures of Greek mythology, in which Zagreus, the son of Hades, attempts to escape the Underworld. The game was listed as Game of the Year by Time , [206] the Washington Post, [207] and over 50 other publications. [208] Hades has been hailed as "a storytelling masterclass" and a revolution of the roguelike genre. [209] Abubakar Salim said of Hades when presenting it with the 2021 BAFTA Game Award for Artistic Achievement: "There are those who may dismiss games themselves as inconsequential parlor entertainment; exercises in frivolity that pale in comparison to film, television, and theatre; disposable chocolatines to be consumed and discarded into the waste bin of forgotten novelties. To those philistines we say with conviction: ...nah." [210]
Before Your Eyes	2021	GoodbyeWorld Games	PC	An interactive story controlled entirely by the player's blinks. It requires the player to use a webcam to track eye movement and blinks in order to progress the story. Each scene can be skipped by immediately blinking or prolonged for as long the player can keep their eyes open, allowing them to see and hear more of the story around that particular scene. GameInformer's Marcus Stewart was "left reeling by the end" explaining that "You rarely get a lot of first-of-a-kind experiences in games anymore, and Before Your Eyes largely nails the execution" [211]

See also

• Video games as an art form
• List of arthouse games

Notes

1. "PC" refers to Microsoft's line of MS-DOS and Windows operating systems.

References

1. Cavallaro, Dani (2012). Kyoto Animation: A Critical Study and Filmography. McFarland & Company. p. 80. ISBN   9780786470686.
2. Rugnetta, Mike (23 January 2013). Idea Channel: Top 5 Most Artful Video Games. PBS . Retrieved 28 January 2013.
3. "Exhibitions: The Art of Video Games / American Art". Archived from the original on 2016-12-03. Retrieved 2017-08-12.
4. "Top 10 Tuesday: Games as Art – IGN". Uk.games.ign.com. Archived from the original on 2009-12-16. Retrieved 2012-11-15.
5. Another World at the Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
6. Nutt, Christian (September 17, 2010). "A Complex Journey: Ninja Theory's Enslaved". Gamasutra . Retrieved February 16, 2021.
7. Stuart, Keith (June 28, 2016). "The Last Guardian creator: 'I can't face playing my own game'". The Guardian . Retrieved February 16, 2021.
8. "Myst IV: Revelation Review". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 2006-06-14. Retrieved 2008-11-18.
9. Miller, Laura (1997-11-06). "Riven Rapt". Salon . Archived from the original on 2008-04-02. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
10. Rothstein, Edward (1994-12-04). "A New Art Form May Arise From the 'Myst'". The New York Times . Retrieved 2008-12-01.
11. Smith, Greg (2002). Hop on Pop: The Pleasures and Politics of Popular Culture. Navigating Myst-y Landscapes: Killer Applications and Hybrid Criticism. Duke University Press. ISBN   0-8223-2737-6.
12. Stewart, Keith (7 July 2015). "22 years on, Doom retains the ability to shock". Eurogamer.
13. "Okay, kids, play on my lawn". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on August 11, 2010. "In my actual experience, I have played Cosmology of Kyoto, which I enormously enjoyed, and Myst , for which I lacked the patience."
14. "Production I.G [WORK LIST]". production-ig.com.
15. "play online - Interview : Yuji Horii". March 25, 2006. Archived from the original on March 25, 2006.
16. "A Visual Guide to the Role-Playing Game". Archived from the original on 2010-06-19. Retrieved 2017-08-12.
17. "Game on at the art museum". PCWorld. December 1, 2012.
18. "RPGFan Reviews - Chrono Trigger". www.rpgfan.com.
19. "Video Game Reviews, Articles, Trailers and more - Metacritic". www.metacritic.com.
20. "Supporting Material Translation". www.chronocompendium.com.
21. Delgrego, Kaes (July 22, 2009). "Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Review". Nintendo Life . Retrieved February 14, 2021.
22. Chayka, Kyle (May 5, 2010). "Why Video Games Are Works of Art". The Atlantic . Retrieved February 14, 2021.
23. Ingham, Tim (April 5, 2011). "Gabe Newell: My 3 favourite games". Computer and Video Games . Archived from the original on July 9, 2013. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
24. Eng, Matt (January 17, 2021). "Speedrunning is Pure Art". Medium . Retrieved February 15, 2021.
25. OnlySP Staff (July 14, 2019). "OnlySP's Favorite Games #17—Castlevania: Symphony of the Night". OnlySP. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
26. Rignall, Julian (2 October 1997). "Castlevania: Symphony of the Night – PlayStation Review". IGN . Archived from the original on 20 September 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
27. Clarke, Andy; Mitchell, Grethe (2013). Videogames and art (Second ed.). pp. 238–254. ISBN   9781841504193.
28. "Top 10 Tuesday: Games as Art (page 2)". IGN . 31 July 2007. Archived from the original on December 16, 2009. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
29. "Grim Fandango « Games Can be Art". Archived from the original on September 10, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
30. The Medium of the Video Game (1st ed.). Austin: University of Texas Press. 2002. p. 2. ISBN   978-0292791503.
31. "Panzer Dragoon Saga review". Sega Saturn Magazine . EMAP (30): 62–65. April 1998.
32. Kalata, Kurt (April 16, 2008). "The History of Panzer Dragoon". Gamasutra . Retrieved February 15, 2021.
33. Electronic Gaming Monthly, issue 113, December 1998, page 265/267
34. Reyes, Francesca (1997-09-06). "TGS: No Xenogears for US". IGN. Archived from the original on 2015-10-03. Retrieved 2015-10-02.
35. Jeremy Parish (March 5, 2018). "Xenogears' story lives on, thanks to its ambitious creator". Polygon. Vox Media, LLC. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
36. Bartholow, Peter (1997-09-06). "First Look at Xenogears". GameSpot . Archived from the original on 2012-11-03. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
37. Seth Schiesel (27 April 2000). "GAME THEORY; A Universe Where Ideas Can Trump Actions". The New York Times . "Plane scape could well herald a new wave of games that are valued as much for their artistic merit as they are for their technical brilliance and the fun they offer."
38. "Masaya Matsuura. Vib-Ribbon. 1997–1999". MoMA.
39. Shuman, Sid. "The 10 most important modern shooters". GamePro. Archived from the original on April 30, 2007. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
40. Cheese Hasselberger. "Guide to FPS - The Online Slaughter". UGO. UGO Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2009-12-07.
41. Cross, Jason. "CG Online -- Deus Ex Review". Computer Games Magazine . Archived from the original on 2004-08-13. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
42. Jordan Erica Webber, Daniel Griliopoulos (17 August 2017). Ten Things Video Games Can Teach Us: (About Life, Philosophy and Everything). Little Brown Book Group. ISBN   9781472137920.
43. Evan Narcisse. "How I Voted For "The Art of Video Games," Part 4". IFC. AMC Networks. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
44. "The Art of Video Games Voting Results" (PDF). TheSmithsonianAmericanArtMuseum. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
45. "Letters Of Love: Galatea". Rock Paper Shotgun . 20 July 2009.
46. Smuts, Aaron. "Are Video Games Art?".
47. "Silent Hill 2 Themes Analysis". Esoteric Articles.
48. "Silent Hill 2 Thematic Analysis". Games and Things. January 28, 2013.
49. Hoggins, Tom (24 July 2008). "Why videogamers are artists at heart". The Daily Telegraph. London.
50. Herold, Charles (15 November 2001). "GAME THEORY; To Play Emperor or God, or Grunt in a Tennis Skirt". The New York Times.
51. "GameSpy.com – Reviews: ICO (PS2)". GameSpy. 2008-10-21. Archived from the original on October 21, 2008. Retrieved 2012-11-15.
52. "Microsoft Word – 34. How Games Express Ideas" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-11-15.
53. Alex Wiltshire (November 14, 2016). "Flashback: How 'Metal Gear Solid 2' Foretold Our Post-Truth Future". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on November 16, 2016. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
54. Rich Stanton (August 16, 2015). "Metal Gear Solid 2: The first postmodern video game". eurogamer.net. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
55. Patrick, Dugan (July 29, 2011). "Analysis: 'Socially Awkward' – How Metal Gear Solid 2 Predicted Facebook". Gamasutra . Retrieved 1 June 2012.
56. "People think this scene from Metal Gear Solid 2 predicted a lot of 2017". JOE . December 2017. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
57. Mróz, Adrian (2018). "Filtration Failure: On Selection for Societal Sanity". Kultura i Historia . 34 (2).
58. "The 100 Best Video Games of All Time (page 5)". Slant Magazine . April 13, 2020. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
59. "Video Games As Art: Ten Games With Great Stories, Part I". iDigitalTimes . March 29, 2013. Archived from the original on June 4, 2013. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
60. Steinberg, Scott (August 31, 2010). "Who says video games aren't art?". CNN . Retrieved February 14, 2021.
61. MacManus, Christopher (April 10, 2012). "Exhibit explores 'The Art of Video Games' (photos)". CNET . Retrieved February 14, 2021.
62. "Yume Nikki 1: Boxart is a Fake Idea". Littlebobeep.com. 2010-01-05. Retrieved 2012-11-15.
63. Regine (June 20, 2006). "Interview of Michael Samyn & Auriea Harvey". we make money not art. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
64. Low, David. "Suda51 Talks Emotion In Games, 'Breaking Stuff'". www.gamasutra.com. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
65. Kasavin, Greg (2005-07-07). "Killer7 Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
66. Smith, Quintin (April 10, 2008). "Butchering Pathologic – Part 1: The Body". Rock Paper Shotgun .
67. Волошин, Кирилл (2019-05-19). "Лучшие артхаусные игры. Часть 1". StopGame.ru.
68. Wilson, Hamish (July 16, 2013). "GamingOnLinux Reviews - Psychonauts". GamingOnLinux. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
69. Ochalla, Bryan (March 16, 2007). "Are Games Art? (Here We Go Again...)". Gamasutra . Retrieved February 15, 2021.
70. Picknard, Jane (16 September 2005). "Preview – Okami". IGN. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
71. Thompson, Clive (23 October 2006). "The Game of Art". Wired . Retrieved 27 June 2012.
72. "Okay, kids, play on my lawn". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on August 11, 2010.
73. "mother 3 (****) | action button dot net". www.actionbutton.net. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
74. "Hardcore Gaming 101: Mother 3". www.hardcoregaming101.net. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
75. Creeber, Martin (2008). Digital Culture: Understanding New Media. Open University Press. ISBN   978-0-335-22197-4.
76. The Art of Video Games: From Pac-Man to Mass Effect
77. Gouglas, Michael Burden, Sean (December 10, 2012). "The Algorithmic Experience: Portal as Art". Game Studies. 12 (2).
78. "Valve, Portal". The Collection. Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
79. Samantha Xu (October 31, 2008). "Fallout 3: Behind the art". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved April 8, 2017.
80. "The Art of Video Games". americanart.si.edu. Archived from the original on December 3, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
81. "The Art Of Braid: Creating A Visual Identity For An Unusual Game" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-04-13. Retrieved 2017-08-12.
82. "Braid: It's Art, but is it a Game?". www.nohighscores.com. 22 June 2012.
83. "Windosill". Metacritic. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
84. "The Art of Video Games Voting Result" (PDF). The Smithsonian Institution. 2011-05-05. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
85. "Noby Noby Boy: The art of play". The Daily Telegraph. 2009-02-27. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
86. Crecente, Brian. "The Path For Art Games". Kotaku. Retrieved 2017-08-17.
87. "Games review – Deadly Premonition is one of a kind | Metro.co.uk". 2 November 2010.
88. Gillin, Joshua (July 26, 2010). "Limbo is the latest offering in the games-as-art argument". St. Petersburg Times. St. Petersburg Times. Archived from the original on July 28, 2010. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
89. Koo, Ryan (July 19, 2011). "Independent Game 'Limbo' Brings a Film Noir Aesthetic to the PS3 and PC". No Film School. No Film School. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
90. Savannah (February 14, 2013). "Can Horror and Art Coincide? A Close Reading (Playing) of Amnesia: the Dark Descent". Games and Culture.
91. "'L.A. Noire Is A Video Game That's Like A Film". 19 May 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
92. Schiesel, Scott (29 July 2011). "Sensory Trip to a Paradise on Screen". New York Times . Retrieved 27 June 2012.
93. Rose, Michael.
94. "Papo & Yo Review (PSN)". PlayStation LifeStyle. 2012-08-14. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
95. "Dear Esther on Steam" . Retrieved 25 March 2014.
96. Hoggins, Tom (5 March 2012). "Dear Esther review". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
97. Narcisse, Evan (1 June 2012). "Gravity Rush: The Kotaku Review". Kotaku. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
98. Stuart, Keith (15 March 2012). "Is Journey a game or a piece of interactive art?". The Guardian . Retrieved 26 March 2013.
99. Clark, Justin (2014-11-06). "The Unfinished Swan Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2017-08-17.
100. "The Unfinished Swan review | Digital Trends". www.digitaltrends.com. Archived from the original on 2013-04-04.
101. "Penny Arcade - PATV - – Spec Ops: The Line (Part 1)". Penny Arcade.
102. "Penny Arcade - PATV - – Spec Ops: The Line (Part 2)". Penny Arcade.
103. Keogh, Brendan (20 November 2012). "Spec Ops: The Line". Critical Distance. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
104. Cooper, Hollander (26 November 2012). "The Walking Dead game review". GamesRadar. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
105. "The Cat Lady Review". Adventure Gamers. Retrieved 2017-07-31.
106. Popper, Ben (2013-04-02). "'BioShock Infinite' makes great art from America's racist past and political present". The Verge . Retrieved 2013-04-02.
107. Suellentrop, Chris (2013-03-25). "BioShock's Latest: Civil War in a City in the Sky". New York Times . Retrieved 2013-04-02.
108. Jones, Jonathan (27 September 2013). "Grand Theft Auto: meet the grand masters of digital art". The Guardian . Retrieved 3 May 2016.
109. Wright, Mic (13 September 2013). "GTA 5: the video game that gives you the world". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 3 May 2016.
110. Sam Machkovech (8 August 2013). "Papers, Please Review: Paper trail of tears". Ars Technica . Retrieved 15 August 2013.
111. Grayson, Nathan (8 February 2013). "Proteus Review". IGN. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
112. Drummond, Joshua (23 August 2013). "Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons review". Gameplanet Australia. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
113. Braga, Matthew (15 August 2013). "Gone Home review – A startling and unexpected storytelling triumph". Financial Post. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
114. "Why 'The Stanley Parable' Almost Granted Videogames 'Art' Status". whatculture.com. 21 September 2012. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
115. "Flappy Bird | Nguyen, Dong | V&A Search the Collections" . Retrieved 2020-04-06.
116. McInnis, Shaun (2014-09-29). "The Vanishing of Ethan Carter Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2017-08-17.
117. "The Vanishing of Ethan Carter Review: A hauntingly beautiful masterpiece". Gamezone. Retrieved 2017-08-17.
118. Yelbayev, Andrey (January 18, 2013). "Kentucky Route Zero – Mysterious narrative by Cardboard Computer". Creative Applications Network. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
119. Walker, John; Rossignol, Jim; Meer, Alec; Smith, Adam; Grayson, Nathan (24 December 2013). "The Amazing & Astonishing RPS Advent Calendar: Day 24". Rock Paper Shotgun . Retrieved 24 December 2013.
120. "Finalists and Winners". IGF. September 22, 2016.
121. Khan, Jahanzeb (2014-12-12). "Review: Elegy for a Dead World". Hardcore Gamer. Hardcore Gamer Magazine. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
122. Stinson, Liz (2013-12-13). "This Might Be the Most Beautiful iPad Game of 2014". Wired. ISSN   1059-1028 . Retrieved 2020-04-03.
123. BAFTA Games Awards 2015 Winners Revealed – IGN, 12 March 2015, retrieved 2020-04-03
124. TechRaptor (13 April 2013). "Art and This War of Mine - An Interview with 11 bit Studios" . Retrieved 4 June 2020.
125. Matulef, Jeffrey (8 July 2014). "Serious Sam dev Croteam details PS4 puzzler The Talos Principle". Eurogamer . Retrieved 5 December 2014.
126. Mc Shea, Tom (11 June 2014). "E3 2014: The Talos Principle Is a Philosophical Puzzle Game That's as Smart as It Is Beautiful". GameSpot . Retrieved 5 December 2014.
127. Kubba, Sinan (4 November 2014). "Philosophy, puzzles and Tetris in The Talos Principle next month". Joystiq . Retrieved 5 December 2014.
128. Ladavac, Alen (4 November 2014). "The Talos Principle underwent 15,000 hours of playtesting — but not by humans (interview)". VentureBeat (Interview). Interviewed by Heather Newman. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
129. Allin, Jack (12 June 2014). "Croteam gets serious about philosophical first-person puzzler The Talos Principle". Adventure Gamers . Retrieved 5 December 2014.
130. Putrich, Chase (August 26, 2019). "Why do people blame video games for real-life violence? Professors weigh in". The Exponent. Purdue Exponent. Retrieved 20 April 2020. The artistry in games is another benefit Whittinghill sees in them. Whittinghill pointed to No Man's Sky, To the Moon, INSIDE and the Talos Principle as examples of games as art. These games vary in both genre and style when compared to traditional big-budget games.
131. Luis Aguasviva (2 November 2022). "Video games invade the art world in MoMA's Never Alone exhibition" . Retrieved 25 January 2023.
132. Franich, Darren (19 June 2015). "Videogames as Art, 2015". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 19 June 2015.
133. "Her Story Review - IGN". 30 June 2015 – via www.ign.com.
134. "Gamers vs Art: Attitudes to video games like Her Story & Sunset are killing this industry". International Business Times UK. June 25, 2015.
135. Byrd, Christopher (October 8, 2015). "'The Beginners Guide' to blurring the lines between video games and interactive art". Washington Post . Retrieved October 8, 2015.
136. Wagner, Brandon (1 December 2015). "'Undertale' Takes Next Necessary Steps for Gaming to Become Art". The Emory Wheel . Emory University . Retrieved 20 January 2016.
137. Grayson, Nathan (28 September 2015). "Players Still Haven't Figured Out All Of Undertale's Secrets". Kotaku . Gawker Media . Retrieved 29 November 2015.
138. "Ori's masterpiece". Stuff. 16 March 2015. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
139. Tanz, Jason (January 6, 2016). "Playing for Time". Wired . Retrieved January 11, 2016.
140. Andrews, Stewar (2 August 2016). "Abzu review - It's a brand new journey that's, erm, not quite Journey". Digital Spy . Retrieved 31 May 2020.
141. Sliva, Marty (16 August 2016). "Bound Review". IGN . Retrieved 2 May 2017.
142. Clark, Justin (18 August 2016). "Bound Review". GameSpot . Retrieved 18 August 2016.
143. Alexander Kriss (2016-04-13). "1979 Revolution is a history lesson for the Netflix generation". Kill Screen. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
144. Clark, Justin (2018-08-04). "No Man's Sky Next Review: You Are Not Alone". GameSpot. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
145. "See concept art from groundbreaking video games including The Last of Us, Journey and No Man's Sky". Digital Arts. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
146. Ditum, Nathan (February 8, 2016). "Firewatch Review – A Small Game with a Big Story". TheGuardian.com . Retrieved May 13, 2017.
147. Saglik, Emre (April 20, 2016). "The Witness: Games as a Form of Art" . Retrieved May 13, 2017.
148. Byrd, Christopher (6 July 2016). "'Inside' review: A gaming masterpiece". Washington Post . Retrieved 11 July 2016.
149. Smith, Iman (3 January 2017). "How 'Mafia III' Unflinchingly Tackles Racism With History And Raw Interactions". NPR . Retrieved 28 July 2019.
150. "Virginia Review – An Elegant And Riveting Thriller". Game Informer. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
151. "Review: The Town of Light | Hardcore Gamer". 6 June 2017. Retrieved 2017-07-31.
152. "The Town of Light is a gruelling but worthy exploration of a wretched era in mental therapy". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2017-08-17.
153. Donlan, Christian (July 26, 2016). "Hyper Light Drifter review". Eurogamer .
154. "Hyper Light Drifter for PC Reviews - Metacritic". Metacritic .
155. "Hyper Light Drifter Review | Reviews | The Escapist". v1.escapistmagazine.com.
156. "When the world grows without you, Night in the Woods Review". GAMING TREND. Retrieved 2017-04-25.
157. Urmanov, Albert. "Why Nier: Automata Epitomizes Video Games as an Art Form" . Retrieved 2017-05-31.
158. Parkin, Simon. "The Dazzling Reinvention of Zelda". The New Yorker. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
159. Baravalle, Alessandro (2017-03-10). "The Mooseman - recensione". Eurogamer.it (in Italian). Eurogamer.
160. Никифоров, Кирилл (2017-08-02). "Рецензия на The Mooseman ("Человеколось")" (in Russian). Riot Pixels.
161. Ramanan, Chella (2017-04-26). "What Remains of Edith Finch review: magical ode to the joy of storytelling". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2017-05-02.
162. "Hollow Knight". Metacritic.
163. Marks, Tom (March 6, 2017). "Hollow Knight's charming art sets the bar for hand drawn games". PC Gamer .
164. Walker, John (March 2, 2017). "Hollow Knight feels too familiar, despite being a solid metroidvania". Rock Paper Shotgun .
165. "Last Day of June. Análisis para PS4 y PC". IGN España (in European Spanish). 2017-08-30. Retrieved 2017-09-09.
166. "Last Day of June – La recensione". IGN Italia (in Italian). 2017-08-29. Retrieved 2017-09-09.
167. "Análisis de Last Day of June, un cuento de amor y pérdida para PS4 y PC". HobbyConsolas (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-09-09.
168. Hood, Vic (2017-08-31). "Last Day of June review". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2017-09-09.
169. Newhouse, Alex (2017-08-29). "Last Day Of June Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2017-09-09.
170. Petitte, Omri (11 October 2012). "Gorogoa is a completely hand-drawn puzzler of Magritte-esque surrealism". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2018-06-10.
171. Warr, Philippa (23 December 2013). "Gorogoa first look: a charming and beautiful illustrative puzzle game". PC Gamer . Retrieved 2 January 2014.
172. Graft, Kris (18 February 2014). "Road to the IGF: Jason Roberts' Gorogoa". Gamasutra . Retrieved 2018-06-10.
173. "The Invisible Hours (PSVR) Review – GameCritics.com". gamecritics.com.
174. Square, Push (October 12, 2017). "Review: The Invisible Hours (PS4)". Push Square.
175. Yescombe, Rob (15 January 2018). "Game Design Deep Dive: Creating the 'spherical narrative' in The Invisible Hours". www.gamasutra.com.
176. "NEXT" (PDF).
177. "The Invisible Hours". May 28, 2018.
178. Quinn, Austin (2019-04-11). "Kingdom Come: Deliverance Reminds Us Why Realism Matters". Exclusively Games. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
179. Parkin, Jeffrey (2018-02-21). "How I learned to love Kingdom Come: Deliverance". Polygon. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
180. "11–11: Memories Retold review: A splash of humanity to something as inhumane as war". The Independent. Retrieved 2018-11-18.
181. "Game review: 11–11 Memories Retold is a moving First World War tribute". Metro. 2018-11-08. Retrieved 2018-11-18.
182. "11–11: Memories Retold – Review". Video Games Art. 2018-11-17. Retrieved 2018-11-18.
183. "11–11 Memories Retold Review | Trusted Reviews". Trusted Reviews. Retrieved 2018-11-18.
184. Suderman, Peter (November 23, 2018). "Red Dead Redemption 2 Is True Art". The New York Times . Retrieved November 24, 2018.
185. Cross, Katherine (November 8, 2018). "Opinion: Return of the Obra Dinn is a work of art". Gamasutra . Retrieved November 8, 2018.
186. Blake, Vikki (January 10, 2019). "Gris review – an evocative, ethereal experience you don't want to miss". Eurogamer . Retrieved October 22, 2019.
187. Smith, Ryan (August 10, 2016). "Video games level up to high art—and Chicago artist William Chyr is at the controls". Chicago Reader . Retrieved October 20, 2019.
188. Webster, Andrew (2019-11-01). "Death Stranding is a long, bizarre journey that's both breathtaking and boring". The Verge. Retrieved 2020-08-03.
189. Dawkins, Dan (2019-11-01). "Death Stranding review – Hideo Kojima's radically tough slow-burning epic". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2020-08-03.
190. "Disco Elysium: The Kotaku Review". Kotaku. 8 November 2019. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
191. "The 10 Best Video Games of the 2010s". Time. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
192. "Museums acquire viral Australian video game Untitled Goose Game". amp.theage.com.au. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
193. "The Last of Us Part 2 has more game of the year awards than The Witcher 3, the previous record holder". VG247. 2021-01-26. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
194. Juba, Joe. "Game Informer's Best Games Of The Generation". Game Informer. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
195. December 2020, GamesRadar Staff 15 (15 December 2020). "GamesRadar's 100 best games of the generation". gamesradar. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
196. The Best Games of the PS4/Xbox One Generation - IGN, 31 December 2020, retrieved 2021-05-27
197. The Last of Us 2 is a brilliant work of art: Review (spoiler-free) , retrieved 2021-05-27
198. Dougherty, Conor (2020-06-19). "'The Last of Us Part II' Is a Dark Game for a Dark Time". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-05-27.
199. "The Last of Us Part 2 | Games of the Year 2020". GamesIndustry.biz. 22 December 2020. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
200. Weber, Rachel (July 14, 2020). "Ghost of Tsushima review: "A worthy swan song for the PS4"". GamesRadar . Archived from the original on November 16, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
201. Miller, Matt (July 17, 2020). "Ghost of Tsushima Review – A Most Honorable Epic". Game Informer . Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
202. Saltzman, Mitchell (July 14, 2022). "Ghost of Tsushima Review". IGN . Archived from the original on November 16, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
203. Tran, Edmond (July 17, 2020). "Ghost Of Tsushima Review - You Khan Do It". GameSpot . Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
204. Hellyar, Jayden (14 August 2020). "Ghost of Tsushima: A Perfectly Constructed Work of Art – PS4 Review". Gamecrater. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
205. Tassi, Paul. "Is PS4's 'Ghost Of Tsushima' The Most Beautiful Game Ever Made?". Forbes. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
206. "The 10 Best Video Games of 2020". Time. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
207. "The best games of 2020". Washington Post. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
208. "2020 - Game of the Year Tracker". Game Awards.net. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
209. "Hades is a storytelling masterclass with ample lessons for other games". Washington Post. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
210. "2021 BAFTA Games Awards". Youtube. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
211. Stewart, Marcus (April 20, 2021). "Before Your Eyes Review - An Emotional, Eye-Opening Experience". Game Informer . Archived from the original on 2021-04-23.